Thread title is my question. I'm getting ready to have to sit on the sidelines for 6-8 weeks...and I'm not looking forward to it. So how do you handle not playing for awhile...be it for injury or other reasons (like the end of a league season)?

I think it depends on your reasons. Are you injured? If it's just the end of the season surely you can find some buddies to hit with in the meantime.

I definitely miss tennis if I haven't played for a while but it's nice to pursue other interests and I also feel when I do come back to play, I'm fresh and hitting the ball as well as ever. I don't suffer "ring rust" as bad as most, so I suppose I'm lucky in that respect.

If you're out through injury then it's probably a good plan to do regular light exercise if you can, just to keep in shape. You don't want to get back on court and be out of breath after your first rally!

If you're just taking a break from the game, why not give other sports a go? Tennis is the best of course, but I could be biased there

This is good for heavy hard-core tennis players. Get your mind totally off of tennis. It will give your body needed rest. When it is time to come back start off by running, then go to a backboard. If you warm up short court and take it easy into getting back hard-core tennis you should be good to go .

Thought you knew, Tidus. I'm pregnant. VERY pregnant. Due date is this Sunday. Although I expect delivery to go well, I still figure to be "out" for several weeks. My team, of course, is chomping at the bit to have me back (and I will be...to get back)...but finding a babysitter for a 4-week old is damn near impossible...and expensive.

Now with the USO over...I guess I'll pin my hopes to watching Davis Cup...and some old matches on VHS (yes, there are still some of us that have/use those things).

Thought you knew, Tidus. I'm pregnant. VERY pregnant. Due date is this Sunday. Although I expect delivery to go well, I still figure to be "out" for several weeks. My team, of course, is chomping at the bit to have me back (and I will be...to get back)...but finding a babysitter for a 4-week old is damn near impossible...and expensive.

Now with the USO over...I guess I'll pin my hopes to watching Davis Cup...and some old matches on VHS (yes, there are still some of us that have/use those things).

Anyhow, thanks for your reply.

I had no idea Angle Queen, congratulations! I hope the birth goes well and you have a lovely child

My regular mixed doubles parner is out through pregnancy at the moment and was last year too (she's been a busy lady!), so I can certainly sympathise with you from what she told me. Especially if you're so used to playing regularly and getting the exercise benefits. She bounced back very strongly though and played better than ever after the maternity break so I'm sure the same will go for you.

You'll come back hungrier to play than ever, so I feel sorry for your opponents!

This is good for heavy hard-core tennis players. Get your mind totally off of tennis. It will give your body needed rest. When it is time to come back start off by running, then go to a backboard. If you warm up short court and take it easy into getting back hard-core tennis you should be good to go .

This is good advice, although I personally have problems with the backboard. I hate doing that. I much prefer just to start slow on court.
The short court works good. Also, since you won't be able to run either, I would do some cardio before I hit the court.

Although I gotta admit, I was out today watching my team's first match of the Fall Season...and I didn't feel that bad about sitting the sidelines. I feel bad enough, physically. I'm most fortunate that my teammates continue to include me in their emails, offers to practice and invitations to lunch after matches. They also didn't freak out when I wanted to still play/practice as late as last week (at 38+ weeks pregnant). We actually used it as a practice session on how to take advantage of a "limited mobility" opponent.

I played well early in my pregnancy (even finished the season with a 6-0, 6-2 drumming at #1 doubles) and bounced back well after my first child. The issues I'll face are more logistic than physical....with babysitters and such. Our club has daycare...but not until they're 6-months old. At least we've timed it well so that will work for our USTA Spring season.

take the pressure off yourself by expecting the worst... usually you get surprised... travelled the world for a fair length of time which mean for 1 year of my life i didnt pick a racquet... also happened a few more times with differing lengths of time... this opposed to 75% of my life since 8 with a racquet in hand everyday...

they way i see it... if you sets yourself the 'worst of' scenario then, you can simply enjoy hitting the odd good ball..

as... for certain, a relaxed approached to performance will coax out good form quicker than in a pressurised atmosphere that only you yourself create... also, tension in the body will cause injury... there is a reason why those asleep in a bus crash are a lot more likely to survive...

tidus said that good form also came after a spell away from the game, and i can apprecaite this as well... and include this in the way i train players, especially after they have had a long run of good form but are looking fatigued... better to leave a week off a and rest feelin in form rather than find bad form a few weeks later then rest on a bad note...

yeah... take the pressure off... 'up' the simple enjoyment of feeling the ball on the strings, plus, devalue the outcome, score or result.... i believe good form is found faster this way...